Star power

The online version of the November issue of the Hollywood Star News was posted yesterday, here, and I want to call everyone's attention to a fine little piece included in it. On page 3, they lay out a timeline of the history of the derelict Gordon's Fireplace property at 33rd and Broadway, which is in the process of being sold and reconfigured as apartments.

I think the Star News is what most people in the news biz would call a "shopper." It's basically a vehicle for ads by local merchants in Northeast Portland, with some lightweight news notices sprinkled on top. They don't have the money to undertake what the big news organizations do, and that's fine. Keeping it small and homey is the whole point.

And so this Gordon's article is impressive. It's above and beyond what readers are expecting, really good. 

I see that they're getting photos, if not information, from Doug Decker, the guy who runs the fine Alameda Old House History blog, here. Smart move.

The Star News was itself sold a few months ago, and the new owners (calling themseles the Electric Heights Publishing Company) are no doubt responsible for this upping of the paper's journalistic game. All I can say is, way to go, and keep it coming.

As for that hideous, dangerous eyesore of a building, well, that deserves a post of its own, and I'll get one out as soon as I can. It's nice to see that it may be on its way to being torn down or completely redone, but the success of the project may depend on the goodwill and expertise of one of the seemingly weaker players in the vast Portland homeless industrial complex. Neighbors, I wouldn't pop the corks just yet.